Ships are generally provided with display devices which display a radar image created by a radar apparatus, a fish finding image created by a fish finder, a chart image created by a plotter apparatus, and various information including voyage information, such as latitude and longitude.
When some kind of abnormality occurs in such devices, a user generally calls a support center of the manufacturer of the device concerned, explains the situation, and receives support services, such as providing a method of fixing the abnormality. For example, when the radar image is not displayed appropriately, the user explains the symptom to an operator of the support center over the telephone.
However, the symptom that shows up on the radar image, although obvious in visual, is difficult to orally explain in many cases. Therefore, it is not easy for the user to orally explain exactly what the abnormality occurring in the display device is over the telephone. Moreover, it is also difficult for the operator of the support center to provide adequate support based on the little information given from the user over the telephone. Thus, it takes time to find out the cause of the abnormality in many cases.
Therefore, it can be considered that the user takes a picture of the display screen of the display device with, for example, a camera built in a mobile phone, and sends the data of the picture image to the support center. In this case, the operator of the support center can visually check the display screen of the display device with the abnormality by the image, and thus, the cause of the abnormality occurring in the display device becomes easier to identify.
However, the process of taking the picture of the display screen with the camera and sending the data of the picture image is troublesome to the user. Therefore, the support center feels reluctant to request the user to go through the process. Thus, in the actual scene, it is unlikely for the user to take the picture of the display screen with the abnormality and send it to the support center.
Meanwhile, in the field of ships, voyage data recorders (VDR) have been known. JP2006-071337A discloses such VDR which is configured to store image data obtained by a radar.
If the image data is stored as the VDR in JP2006-071337A does, when abnormality occurs in a display device, a user does not need to take a picture of the display screen with a camera. The stored image data can be considered useful in determining the cause of abnormality. However, the VDR in JP2006-071337A is for analyzing the data when a marine accident occurs, and determining the cause thereof, and is not for maintenance of navigational instruments. A VDR is generally for acquiring and storing predetermined data at all times so that if an accident occurs, the cause thereof can be determined, and therefore, the volume of the stored data becomes enormous. Therefore, even if the configuration of JP2006-071337A is simply applied to a display device to store data, it cannot be said that the cause of abnormality can be determined smoothly when it occurs in the display device.